Passengers puzzled as bus, train firms in Japan's Kumamoto Pref. scrap use of IC cards

KUMAMOTO -- Some people were seen perplexed in western Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on Nov. 16, the first day five local bus and train operators stopped accepting fare payments by contactless transportation IC cards that have been used nationwide, such as East Japan Railway Co. (JR East)'s "Suica."

This is the first case of companies withdrawing from the nationwide transportation IC card system, and some passengers who are familiar with the system voiced their confusion.

The five firms -- Kyushu Sanko Bus Co., Sanko Bus Co., Kumamoto Electric Railway Co., Kumamoto Bus Co., and Kumamoto Toshi Bus Co. -- introduced nationwide IC cards in 2016, but decided to discontinue the use of them due to the heavy financial burden of updating the devices. They plan to replace them with a less expensive contactless payment system, such as using credit cards, in March 2025, but until then, these transportation companies will only accept cash or the regional "Kumamon no IC Card" for fare payments.

Notices of abolishing the use of common IC cards were seen posted at various locations in the Sakuramachi Bus Terminal in the city of Kumamoto.

A 55-year-old male company worker who lives in the city's Higashi Ward complained, "I often make connections with JR (railway companies that accept nationwide IC cards) when traveling for work. I've made a new 'Kumamon no IC Card,' but it is bothersome to use two different cards every time. I understand that the (payment devices') renewal cost is high, though."

A 67-year-old woman from the suburban Tokyo city of Hachioji who had been waiting in line for an airport limousine on her way home from a trip had to pay in cash because she did not know about the abolishment of the use of nationwide IC cards in advance. She commented, "I had charged up (my nationwide IC card), but I have no choice (other than paying in cash) since this is a local situation."

A company worker in his 40s from the prefectural city of Uki, who was waiting at the bus stop in front of JR Kumamoto Station, said, "It's a little inconvenient. There are not many benefits of getting a Kumamon card, which can only be used locally, so for the time being I'm thinking of paying in cash. It's like going back to the old days."

According to the joint management promotion office of the five companies, 5.65 million passengers, or 24% of the total number, used nationwide IC cards in fiscal 2023. The office is seeking understanding that "the discontinuation of the system was a hard decision to make."

(Japanese original by Atsushige Nakamura, Kumamoto Bureau)